New Delhi, March 20 (IANS): The number of confirmed new coronavirus cases worldwide has exceeded 2 lakh, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) and while it took over three months to reach the first 1 lakh confirmed cases, it took just 12 days to reach the next 1 lakh.

Seven new countries/territories/areas (African Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, European Region, and region of the Americas have reported cases of COVID-19.

"A new protocol to investigate the extent of COVID-19 infection in the population, as determined by positive antibody tests in the general population has been developed," the WHO said in its latest situation report on COVID-19 late Thursday.

With the emergence of COVID-19 virus, many uncertainties remain as to certain epidemiological, seroepidemiological (related to identifying antibodies in the population), clinical and virological characteristics of the virus and associated disease, said the WHO.

To date, 13 countries across five of the six WHO regions, including both high-income and low-and middle-income countries, have begun to implement at least one of the early investigation protocols.

A further 18 countries have signaled their intention to implement one of the WHO protocols.

Currently, there are total 246,275 confirmed cases of COVID-19 globally while the death toll has crossed 10,000.

Over 1,00,000 people across Europe have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, prompting European governments to unleash fresh measures.

In India, the number of confirmed coronavirus cases has crossed 200 and four death have been reported so far.

Italy has become the worst coronavirus-hit country with its death toll overtaking that of China, where the disease was first reported late last year.

Coronavirus cases across Africa have risen almost six-fold in a week to 850, with Egypt reporting the maximum cases (210), followed closely by South Africa (202), reports said on Friday.